Carlsbad’s new Mayor and Council

Bret Schanzenbach
President & CEO
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

The 2022 election cycle is thankfully over and we can now all get back to our regularly scheduled lives. In Carlsbad this election brought some new faces and moved some familiar faces into new places. MAYOR Matt Hall officially concluded his long tenure of public service in December and has been succeeded by Mayor Pro Tem Keith Blackburn. Mayor Hall served as Mayor since 2010 and he previously served as a Council Member from 1994 to 2010. Mayor Blackburn has been a City Council Member since 2008 and was representing District 2 at the time of the election. Prior to running for elected office, Keith served thirty-three years with the Carlsbad Police Department. Welcome Mayor Blackburn. We wish Mayor Hall all the best in his retirement.






DISTRICT 1 District 1 has had the most interesting history throughout its very brief existence. As you may remember, Barbara Hamilton was the first person to be elected to represent District 1. That was November, 2018. Now, 4 years later, Melanie Burkholder has secured that spot. Melanie is the fourth elected official to represent District 1 in four years. Hopefully the annual revolving door that has characterized District 1 representation will stop. Congratulations to Melanie. Melanie is a decorated Secret Service agent, mental health counselor, and proud wife and mother.

DISTRICT 2 Now that Keith Blackburn has been elected Mayor, District 2 has a vacancy. As already stated, Carlsbadians have become familiar to council vacancies due to all the resignations in District 1 over the past four years. The four seated council members will have two options: appoint someone to fill the remaining two years of Council Member Blackburn’s seat, or hold a special election. The first time the Council filled the District 1 vacancy a special election was held, resulting in Cori Schumacher becoming the District 1 representative. When she resigned, the council appointed Peder Norby. Choices, choices, choices.










DISTRICT 3
In District 3 Council Member Priya Bhat-Patel successfully won reelection for the seat she first secured four years ago. Congratulations to Dr. Bhat-Patel.

CITY TREASURER
For Carlsbad City Treasurer, Craig Lindholm has won reelection. Lindholm was originally appointed to be Treasurer back in 2013 and has held the position since. Congratulations to Mr. Lindholm.

MEASURE J
Measure J was a Carlsbad-specific ballot measure that would allow the city to spend an estimated $22 million to $24 million to renovate and expand the Monroe Street swimming pool that was built in 1982. This had to come to the community for a vote due to a citizen initiative passed in 1982 that requires a public vote on any real property improvements other than routine maintenance and repairs over $1 million.